Half the Battle
by KKetura
Summary: Emma awakes to find herself kidnapped by one infuriating pirate captain on board the Jolly Roger, but despite his claims of vengeance, there may be more to Hook's actions than either one of them wants to admit.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first venture into this fandom. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

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Emma awoke with a groan, her head pounding as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes slowly cracked open, only to find herself enveloped in darkness, for which her splitting head was momentarily grateful until memory rushed back. She jerked, trying to sit up, only to find her right wrist chained to the headboard of the bed she was on… with her own handcuffs.

"Easy, love."

She froze, her eyes snapping to the figure casually reclining in the doorway across from the bed. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice barely containing the rush of anger that she felt.

Hook pushed away from the doorframe and a dim light flared as he turned up a gas lantern attached to the wall. She glanced around at her new surroundings, trying to process the copious amount of polished wood and general _pirateness. _ "Hook," she said again, her voice flat, "What. Did. You. Do?"

He had that infuriating self satisfied smirk on his face as he came to stand next to the bed. She tugged futilely at the cuff around her wrist, wincing slightly as her headache pulsed again and the cool metal bit into her flesh.

"Never fear, Emma. You'll be thanking me for this soon enough."

"Untie me. Now."

A suggestive eyebrow cocked as he glanced at her restrained hand. "Now why would I do that, darling, when I have you right where I want you."

She abruptly moved to grab him with her free hand, but he quickly moved out of the way and she fell back with a curse, her eyes scrunched closed against the pounding in her head. "Damn it."

"Sorry about the head, love. Had to get you here somehow and knocking you out was the quickest way. A little rum should take care of that for you."

She pried her eyes open again and sat up slowly. "And why did you have to bring me to what I presume is your boat?" she asked, attempting to be civil.

He shot her a cold smile, something dark sparking in his eyes. "I couldn't very well have you running amuck in your Storybrooke, could I? I made a deal with Cora to ensure my revenge. Getting you out of town was part of my end of the bargain." He pulled out a familiar flask from his pocket and handed it to her.

Emma paled slightly as she automatically took what was offered. "Cora is still in Storybrooke?" She tried to move off the bed, her cuffed hand jerking on her restraint, holding her in place. "I have to get back there! Henry—"

"Lass, trust me, you don't have to worry about your boy. Not due to Cora, at least."

"What the hell does that mean?" She tugged at the headboard again. "Damn it, Hook! Let me up!"

Hook chuckled softly. "You know, Miss Swan, I may be starting to understand your continued desire to have me tied up."

Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes, attempting to calm herself. She felt the bed creak and a hand lightly touched the side of her face, causing her to jerk back with a hiss, her eyes flying open. "What—"

"Hold still. You've a nasty cut." His fingers trailed up to her forehead, brushing a sore bump that caused her to gasp and pull farther away. He let his hand drop and grabbed the forgotten rum flask off the bed next to her, holding it up. "Best I can do for now, love. We'll get you looked at when we pull into port."

Emma reluctantly took it, looking at it with trepidation before she inwardly shrugged, moving to bring her other hand up to pull the cork off out of habit. It clanked against the wood again and she let out an irritated sigh, resigning herself to bringing the flask up to her mouth and pulling the cork out with her teeth, letting it drop on the bed as she took a long pull of the fiery liquid.

"What do you mean, when we pull into port?" she asked with a grimace as the rum burned her insides, looking up at Hook who was gazing back with darkened eyes. "Where are we?"

His expression fell slightly, as if anticipating her reaction. "Not in your world any longer."

Emma felt like she had been punched in the stomach. She'd fought so hard to get back, to Henry, to her family, and now she'd lost them all again, and she had no idea how or why. "Why?" she asked through gritted teeth, her hands balled into fists as she fought to control her raging emotions. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because Cora gave me two options. The first involved disposal of your corpse. The second, I keep you out of the way while Cora carries out her plans. I assumed you would condone my current actions." He stood and she looked up at him. "Apparently I was wrong."

Emma shook her head. "My entire family is back in Storybrooke, and you expect me to be happy that I'm not there with them while Cora runs around doing God knows what! You expect me to thank you for kidnapping me and tying me to your bed?"

"Actually, yes. It could have been the mast, darling." He smirked again, the amusement back in his blue eyes. "But I understand just how thick that skull of yours can be." He leaned closer and winked. "And I'm a patient man."

"Holy hell," Emma grumbled, rolling her eyes and taking another long drink of rum. She was going to need it. She looked around the room again, for the first time hearing the creaks of the wood and the sounds coming from above deck. "If we really are sailing somewhere, then I can't escape the ship. Tying me up seems like a bit of overkill."

"Oh, I know exactly how much trouble you can be, Emma. You're staying right where you are for the time being." He turned and started walking for the door.

"Wait! You can't just leave me here! Hook!"

He glanced back at her, his grin widening. "As ironic as this is, you're right. I'm not going to leave you there, though you do make a pretty picture. I'll be back, love. Try to get some sleep."

He actually left, closing the door behind him. She stared for a long moment of disbelief before her anger got the better of her, and she threw the flask across the room with a cry, tugging futilely at the handcuffs. She looked around frantically for something she could use to pick the lock, but came up empty and fell back on the bed with a curse, staring up at the low wood ceiling, unsure what her next move would be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She must have fallen asleep because she came to with a start, trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. The gas lantern was still burning, casting a warm glow over the room, but she could see sunlight peeking from under the door as she sat up. The pounding in her head was slightly better as she reached up to rub her temple, wincing slightly, and froze, looking at her free wrist in surprise.

A second later she was scrambling off the bed, looking at the door warily. "Okay, think, Emma," she muttered to herself, hurrying over to a table and pushing some papers aside, looking for anything she could use to defend herself with. All she came up with was what looked to be a fairly dull butter knife. She let out a long breath and tucked it into her boot. Better than nothing.

After she gave up finding anything better, she slowly made her way over to the door, straining to hear anything on the other side. Beside the sounds of the ship, she could make out voices above, the sound of feet on wood, possibly the clang of metal on metal. She frowned, taking a deep breath, and opened the door. She could do this. She had to, to get back to her family.

She took the steps up to the main deck slowly, eventually emerging, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Ah, good. You're awake," Hook's voice said next to her and she jumped, falling back against the doorframe before she could stop herself.

"You really need to relax, darling," he chuckled, moving away from her.

She glared after him, but quickly hurried to fall into step beside him. She looked around the large deck, noting the sailors moving about, tending to the needs of the ship, and the glimmer of land on the far horizon. "You untied me," she said, turning her attention back to him as he made his way aft.

"I think you understand that there is nowhere else for you to go," he said with a shrug. "And you were being asked for."

She frowned again. "By who? Who else knows me on here? And where did you find all these sailors?"

Hook shot a grin over his shoulder as he lightly climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck. Emma was rapidly losing her patience when she heard a voice cry out over the sound of the ship and the water, freezing her blood.

"You son of a bitch. You didn't," she breathed, her blue-green eyes snapping to Hook who had finally turned to face her.

His grin widened to a full-blown smile. "I did tell you he would be safe from Cora."

She ran up the remaining stairs, pushing past Hook to find Henry locked in a mock wooden sword fight with a disreputable looking fellow who appeared to be missing nearly all of his teeth.

"Henry!" Emma called, her heart thudding in her chest.

The boy and the pirate stopped, and as he turned to see her, a huge grin split his face. He ran over, throwing his arms around her before pulling back quickly. "How cool is this, Mom! We're on a pirate ship!" Excitement lit his face as he looked up at her. "How are you feeling? Hook said you had a bad headache and needed to sleep."

"That's Captain to you, lad," Hook said as he walked by, playfully cuffing him on the head.

Emma pulled Henry to her, moving him so she stood between him and Hook. "What have you done?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I believe I've just done you a favor. Have a little courtesy and say thank you."

"You kidnapped my son!" she snapped.

"Would you have preferred I left him to Cora's tender mercies? You know she was looking for the boy, for Regina."

Emma paled slightly at the news, feeling sick. "You should have just stayed out of my business." She shook her head, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "You were supposed to stay in your world, and I was supposed to stay in mine."

"We're from the same world, Emma, and you can be as angry as you'd like about it, doesn't change anything. You're stuck with me for the time being."

Emma stared at him silently for a long, drawn out moment, a small frown of confusion marring her face. "Why would you bring Henry if you knew Cora was looking for him? Aren't you two working together?"

Hook only shrugged. "Just because I have a deal with the witch doesn't mean I agree with everything she does. And I believed you would be more amicable if your boy was along with you."

Her grip on Henry tightened slightly. "Is that a threat?"

Hook's expression darkened, and he advanced on her until he was only a hairsbreadth away. "If I threaten you, you'll know it, darling."

She forced herself not to move away even though she could feel his breath against her lips and his body heat bleeding through her shirt, making her stomach clench. His eyes carefully searched her face before locking with her own. She felt the air between them shift, the tension tight enough to cut through. She didn't know what this was, this thing that flared up between them at the most inconvenient times. She _could not_ trust this man, but some deep-seated part of her kept whispering that it would be okay if she did, and that scared the hell out of her.

A sliver of a frown appeared on Hook's face as he watched her. "Have I given you reason to fear me, Emma?" he asked softly.

She swallowed hard. She'd forgotten—open book. "No, but that doesn't mean I trust your motives."

"You know _exactly_ what my motives are. I've not made them a secret." He stepped back, breaking whatever tenuous thread had been between them, and shot a glance at Henry who was watching them with a confused expression. "Your boy's safe, you're safe, and Cora will be dealt with in due time." He made a gesture around the ship. "Relax a little, Emma. Enjoy it."

"You know, I still have family in Storybrooke. I can't just think about myself."

Hook shrugged and turned away again, walking over towards the toothless pirate. "Not going to change anything, Swan." He leaned down and picked up the wooden sword that Henry had dropped, flipping it carelessly in his grasp so the hilt faced out as he came back to them and handed it to the boy. "Keep working on the footwork, lad. We don't want you turning out to be as bad of a swordsman as your mother."

Henry eagerly took the sword, glancing up at Emma reluctantly for permission. She let out a long sigh and shrugged. "Just be careful, kid."

"Thanks," he grinned and hurried back over to Toothless.

"Seriously? I kicked your ass at the portal," she said with a raised brow, turning on the captain.

Hook grinned and stepped into her again, his good hand ghosting up her arm. "I wouldn't go that far, darling, but if you come back down to my cabin, I'll let you do whatever you want to my ass," he breathed, his gaze pointedly falling to her lips.

She shoved him away, ignoring the shiver than ran through her at his touch. "Do you ever give it a rest?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

Emma closed her eyes, taking a deep breath trying to calm herself. She had no idea why he could get under her skin so fast. The man was infuriating. "All right, listen, buddy," she started, opening her eyes and pinning him with a glare. "If anything happens to Henry, I will end you. I don't care if I'm on your ship full of pirates in some far away land. He is the best thing that's happened to me, and I will do everything in my power to keep him safe. Understand?"

Hook stared at her for a long drawn out moment, his gaze surprisingly serious for once. "Nothing will happen to your boy, Emma."

She continued to meet his gaze searchingly, looking for any hint of a lie and coming up empty. "Okay." She looked away, the distant shoreline catching her eye. "So what's the plan? You're supposed to keep me out of Cora's way for how long? How are we getting back?"

He stepped next to her, his blue eyes flicking from the shore to her. "Easy, love. All will be explained in time."

"I want it explained now," she demanded, turning to him again.

"I believe I've had enough of your demands today, darling. This is still my ship."

"And I really don't care. Explain. Now."

His eyes flicked over her again, assessing. "Not here. Come." He started back towards the stairs of the quarterdeck, towards his cabin, when the ship rocked violently, sending them both into the side rail.

"Captain!" someone yelled, a sailor running up to them across the deck as everyone else bolted into action.

"What is it?" Hook demanded, his eyes sweeping across the ship and the surrounding water, as he righted himself.

The ship lurched again, sending Emma to the deck, hard. She looked around frantically for Henry, finding him in the same position as her several yards away.

"Captain! It's a kraken!" the sailor yelled, pointing back towards the starboard side.

Hook's hand was suddenly wrapped around her arm, yanking her to her feet. "Ready the carronades and bring her around to port. We need to open the damn thing," he bellowed, pulling Emma with him as he moved towards the helm. "You get your boy and get below. Now!" he told Emma, pushing her towards where Henry was struggling to his feet.

Emma quickly grabbed Henry, turning to find that Hook had removed the helmsman and taken the position himself. Utter chaos was unfolding around them, sails were being unfurled that she hadn't even noticed earlier and men were running about readying cannons and any number of other things she didn't recognize. The water almost looked like it was boiling off the starboard side, sending the ship rocking violently.

Emma looked back at Hook, surprised by how collected he actually appeared. "Hook?" she called, her voice shaking more than she wanted it too.

He glanced at her, frowning slightly. "Bloody hell, Swan, do you ever do what your told? Get below!"

Emma nodded, not needing to be told again. She pulled Henry after her, dodging around the sprinting sailors, moving towards the door to Hook's cabin. She heard a collective yell and the concussive boom of cannon fire, her head jerking up to see what was happening.

"Mom…" Henry said in a small voice as they both stumbled to a halt, awestruck by the sight before them as the huge kraken roared out of the water, tentacles flailing, reaching for the ship.

Emma forced her mouth to snap shut and started moving again. "Henry, let's go!"

"Swan!" She heard Hook scream and her blood ran cold as she looked up just in time to see one of the massive tentacles snake over the side of the ship, snapping rigging and pushing men aside as it headed straight for her and Henry.

She didn't even have time to think, just enough to push Henry as hard as she could away from her towards the cabin door and brace as the flailing thing struck her hard, sending her spinning towards the side of the ship as darkness flared up and engulfed her.

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**Would love to hear what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Um, just wow, everyone. I'm kinda speechless. The response to this has completely blown me away. Thank you all so, so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. You're all the best! Hope you enjoy.**

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Henry!" Emma bolted upright, fear coursing through her as her last conscious memories flooded her mind. Her heart was racing and she could feel the panic starting to set in as she looked around frantically for her son.

"Emma! Calm down," Hook said, suddenly appearing in front of her. His hand slipped into her hair, grasping the nap of her neck, forcing her to look at him. "He's fine, love. You're all alright."

Emma took a gasping breath, staring back into his blue eyes for several long moments as she forced herself back under control. "Where is he?" she asked softly.

"Sleeping for now," Hook replied with a small grin.

She felt relief wash over her and she slumped, realizing for the first time that she was in an unfamiliar room. As her fear for Henry started to drift away, she became aware of the slow circles his thumb was drawing on the back on her neck, and she gently pulled away, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she looked anywhere but at him.

"What happened?" she asked, glancing at him swiftly, before continuing to inspect the room.

"Kraken got you. Threw you across the deck and almost dragged you over the side. Luckily, I got a sword on it."

"You did?" she asked, surprised. "But you were all the way across…"

He shrugged, pulling away from her slightly.

Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed she was on, once again looking around the room. "Where are we now? This isn't your ship."

"An inn. We had to pull in for some repairs."

Emma glanced at him skeptically. "We're in an inn?"

He shrugged and stood. "Albeit a rather poor excuse for one. The curse did destroy this land. Seems people are just barely back on their feet." He held out a hand to help her up.

She looked at it momentarily, vivid memories of the last time he'd offered her a hand up flashing through her mind, and stood without it. "I'd like to see Henry."

Hook let his hand fall back to his side. "Still not the trusting type, I see, darling."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "You kidnapped me and my son."

"Point taken, lass." He walked past her to the door, opening it and motioning for her to precede him. "Still awaiting your gratuitous thanks for that."

"Not going to happen," she shot back as she passed him. He was right behind her, his hook slipping around her arm and pulling her down the hall to another door. Inside she found two beds, one with Toothless playing some type of card game upon, and the other occupied by a sleeping Henry.

Emma moved over to the side of the bed, her heart clenching as she thought of how close she had come to losing him earlier. She knelt down, her fingers gently brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. She had to get him back home.

"He's a good lad. Much better at following orders than his mother," Hook said from close behind her.

She tensed and stood, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "And what exactly were you ordering him to do?"

"It's a pirate ship, love. There's always something to do."

"Hook…"

A crooked smirk lit his face. "Let's discuss this over a pint and some food. I'm not in the mood to placate your pesky demands on an empty stomach." He turned away with a glance at the other man in the room. "You're here for the night, mate."

"Aye, Capt'n," the man said, glancing up from his cards.

"Let's go, Swan." Emma hesitated despite her growling stomach. She glanced back at Henry's sleeping form, not wanting to leave him, especially with some pirate she had no knowledge of. "Thomas won't let any harm befall him," Hook said, coming back to her. "And I don't think you're going to want your boy to see some of our… activities."

Emma slowly turned away from Henry, giving Hook a look that clearly conveyed she was already tired of his comments. "Let's just go get something to eat so I can go back to sleep and get away from you."

As they made their way down to the common room, Emma noted how run down the place looked, like it had been thrown together with the pieces of other buildings and in a bit of a hurry. The main room didn't have many people in it, just a few disreputable looking folks keeping to themselves in a far darkened corner.

Hook guided her to their own darkened corner, even pulling out a chair for her, which she responded to with a roll of her eyes before sitting in it. "Lovely place, Hook. You bring all your girls here?" she asked sarcastically.

He leaned across the table towards her. "Are you saying you're my girl?"

Emma's face fell, knowing she had walked herself into that one. "Definitely not."

He gave her a knowing look. "Options are rather limited these days, what with this being an accursed land."

A bowl of something steaming was suddenly dropped in front of Emma and she started slightly, looking up to see a rather busty barmaid standing next to her, giving her a dirty glare before turning to Hook.

"Haven't seen you in forever, Captain," she said in an obnoxiously flirty voice.

Hook gave her a cursory glance. "Ah, yes… it has been a while, sweetheart."

She set his bowl down in front of him, still obviously trying to get his attention.

Hook looked back at her, his eyes turning cold. "No time for all that, dear. Now be a good lass, and fetch us some drinks."

The barmaid cast him a bit of a pout but turned and left, leaving them alone at the table again. Emma sat back with a frown. "Huh, that is not how I pictured that going."

He looked up from where he had started eating. "Really, darling? And what, exactly, were you expecting?"

"More of you being… well, you, I guess. You kind of just blew her off." She picked up her spoon and looked into the bowl, wonder what exactly she was about to eat.

Hook shrugged slightly. "Time's of the essence tonight, love."

Emma stopped with the spoon half way to her mouth. "What does that mean?"

"We're going on a bit of a trip."

"Why?" she demanded, all pretense of eating gone. "I thought we were already on a _trip_."

"True, but before we continue on, we're going to need a few items."

"Why?" she asked again, slamming her spoon back onto the table. "I'm not playing this game the entire time I'm with you. You better tell me everything, Hook."

The pirate set his own spoon down with a grim smile, pulling out a black bag and throwing it on the table between them. Emma looked at it warily, pulling it closer to her slowly with a glance at Hook. "What's in it?"

He just motioned at it with his hook, sitting back and crossing his arms with an expectant look on his face.

Emma tugged on the cord tying the bag closed and pulled it open, almost gagging as an overwhelming stench hit her and she finally saw what was inside. "Is that an eyeball?" she asked shoving the bag away, repulsed.

Hook just continued to stare at her, waiting.

She quickly closed the bag, cutting off the fishy smell emanating from the thing. "Is that from that monster that attacked the ship?" she asked in a low voice. "And if it is, please tell me that you didn't plan for that whole situation, because if you took me and my son out there with a _kraken_—"

"Do you think I'd sail my ship through kraken infested waters by accident, love?" Hook asked with a brow raised in disbelief. "I thought my reputation had preceded me."

Emma was on her feet. "You told me Henry was going to be safe! You lied to my face!"

"Last I knew, your boy was fine. This isn't the first time I've taken on a sea monster, darling."

Emma let out a disbelieving, sarcastic laugh. "Of course not! Why would it be? You may be terrified of flying lost boys and crocodiles, but sea monsters, no problem—"

Hook was on his feet and had her slammed back onto the table, food and spoons scattered, faster than she could blink. "I don't take kindly to being called a coward," he growled, and Emma sputtered a denial that he ignored, pressing on. "No more games, Emma." His hook was twisted up in her shirt, holding her down, the cool metal pressed against her skin. "I never lied to you. You know that," he said simply, and she knew it was true no matter how much she didn't want to believe it. "We both want the same thing, love. Stop fighting me."

Emma let out a long breath, beyond flustered by everything that was happening. Besides the kraken truth bomb, their new _quest_ she knew nothing about, and Hook on top of her, pressing her into the table, the blatant honesty in his words was like a slap to the face. She looked away, trying to get her bearings before turning back and forcing herself to meet his searching gaze. "I don't want to fight you. I just want to get home, but I need you to tell me everything." She swallowed hard, fighting to get the next words out. "If we're going to… to _trust_ one another, we both need to stop hiding behind half truths."

His blue eyes stared into hers for another drawn out moment before he nodded and moved back, pulling her up with him. He held out his hand. "Truce then, lass."

Emma looked at his hand, an unsettling feeling stealing over her as she realized how important this moment was for both of them. She'd betrayed him before, and though she wasn't proud of her actions, she could justify them to herself. After this, however, they had an understanding, and she knew, if she turned her back on him again, there would be no going back. Whatever tenuous trust they had would be gone forever.

She bit her lip and with a deep breath reached out and grabbed his hand. "Truce," she said softly, meeting his eyes.

A wide grin spread over his face, and he raised her hand to his lips, placing a lingering kiss on her knuckles while keeping his eyes locked with hers. "Good form, love."

Emma was caught by surprise when he moved, keeping her hand in his and tugging her towards the door. The barmaid yelled something about the mess and Hook threw a gold coin at her before they were both outside in the cool, moonlit air. He let go of her and turned to a man standing beside the door. Emma couldn't really pick up their hurried conversation, but Hook turned back to her a moment later, pressing a belt and sword into her hands without hesitation. "This way, love."

Emma quickly buckled the sword around her waist, and hurried to catch up, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. "I thought you were going to tell me what's going on?"

"I presumed we could talk on the road," he replied, motioning at the path leading into the woods.

"How long is this going to take? I don't want to leave Henry here alone, especially if there is a good chance I'm not coming back."

Hook gave her a tired look. "We'll be back by dawn, Emma, and you will come back. I'll make sure of that."

She forced herself to push down the lingering doubt and nodded. "Okay, let's go." She ignored the surprised look on his face and walked past him down the road.

"So what's the kraken eye for?" she asked when he caught up to her side.

"We're going to trade it for access back to your Storybrooke."

Emma's hand clenched on the hilt of her sword. "So, as of right now," she said slowly, reining in her temper, "we have no way of getting back."

"We have a plan, love, and that is as good as having the way back in our hands."

"And what is it, exactly, that we're trading the eye for?"

Hook grinned. "A pair of magic slippers."

"You've got to be joking. Seriously? Dorothy's slippers?"

The pirate shrugged. "Cora provided me with the name of a certain witch that was in possession of the slippers, and she has a vested interest in getting us back."

"And you trust Cora?"

Hook looked at her pointedly. "Of course not, but she can't afford to abandon me here. I have a certain item of hers that she is desperate to get back."

Emma shook her head. "We really need to work on your sharing skills. Getting information out of you is like pulling teeth. What item?"

Hook's grin turned vicious. "Her heart."

Emma stopped walking. "You have Cora's heart? With you right now? How?"

Hook stopped with her, stepping uncomfortably close. "Afraid I'll steal another one, darling?"

She wanted to laugh, but it stuck in her throat. "The heart?" she asked again.

Hook reached out, idly playing with a strand of her blond hair. "It's in a safe place, never fear." Emma grabbed his hand, pushing it away, but his satisfied smirk remained in place. "I'll reveal the location when you've proven your loyalties, Swan. Trust works both ways, darling."

Emma tried not to huff in frustration. "Fine, Hook. "

They started walking again, Hook watching her out of the corner of his eye. "And as much as I love what your mouth does when you call me that, love, when we get to our destination, you should most likely use my real name. The witch has a bit of a grudge against Captain Hook."

"What a surprise," she muttered, keeping her pace.

"You do remember my name, don't you? I know it seems like forever ago that you tied a poor innocent blacksmith to a tree to die."

"There was nothing innocent about you, Hook!" Emma snapped, irritated that he'd called her out.

"Killian, love. Don't want to slip up around Almira."

Emma frowned slightly. "Killian," she said, testing it out. "I think I like Hook better."

"You'd be the first."

Howling erupted off to their right, and they both froze, gazing into the darkness of the trees. "What is that?" Emma asked in a hushed voice.

"Her pets," Hook said, matching her tone. "Tread carefully, love. We're close."

"Why did you bring me? Why not one of your sailors or more people at least?" Emma asked nervously, her hand tight on her sword.

Hook shrugged. "You're still the most motivated, and I wasn't lying when I said we made a great team. You'll do whatever needs to be done to get back home."

"I feel like more people would have been a good call right about now," Emma countered, unconsciously inching closer to him.

The howling picked up as they continued, occasionally seeing flashes of movement through the trees around them, or hearing branches crack a little too close for comfort.

"Isn't the Wicked Witch from Oz?" Emma asked, needing something to take her mind off the horror show going on around them. "What is she doing in this world?"

"Almira came here after the Wizard tried to have her killed. Decided a nice, quiet retirement in the Enchanted Forest was preferable to being dead. Lucky for us, too. Oz is damn hard to get to."

Emma shook her head. "Of course." Every time she thought she got a handle on all the crazy fairy tales come true, she'd learn something else. "So should I be expecting Flying Monkeys?"

Hook looked at her like she had gone crazy. "What the blazes are those? Flying Monkeys?"

She just threw her hands up. "Never mind."

A small cottage appeared out of the darkness as they drew closer. A few lights lit the windows, making it look homey and inviting. "So do we just knock?" Emma asked.

"As good a plan as any, love. She already knows we are here." Hook said as he unlatched his hook and slipped it out of sight before continuing forward. When they were a few feet away, the door creaked open, sending a sliver of light out into the darkness. The two glanced at each other, a flash of understanding passing between them, and then stepped into the cabin.

Emma didn't know what exactly she had expected, but it wasn't what she found upon entering the cottage. The house was surprisingly tidy, almost too clean. When meeting an evil witch, she had anticipated something different, maybe more of a mess.

"Ah, Killian, dear. It's been ages," a crackled, breathy voice said from across the room. Emma jumped, spinning to find a withered old crone sitting in a simple wooden rocking chair. Her long gray hair was braided into two long plaits hanging down her bony shoulders, and an eye patch obscured her left eye, the other, faded blue and watery, gazed at them piercingly.

"Almira," Hook said with a deep bow. "Charmed to see you, as always."

"Don't be rude, dear. Introduce me to that pretty thing behind you." Almira pointed at Emma with a knobby finger, her lips cracking in a smile to reveal her remaining three teeth.

Hook glanced at her, warning in his eyes. "This is Emma Swan."

"Come closer, Miss Swan," the witch cooed, beckoning her forward.

Hook grabbed her arm, holding Emma in place. "That's not necessary today, Almira. I have a business transaction I'd like to discuss with you."

The witch turned her piercing eye on the pirate, her tongue darting over her lips. "Really, Killian? What are you in the market for this fine night? A new hand? A dagger?" A cackling laugh escaped her as she looked pointedly at Emma again. "A way to change your fate?"

Emma shuddered at the laugh, utterly uncomfortable, and felt Hook's grip on her arm tighten. "We're here about the slippers."

The blue eye snapped back to him. "What could you possibly have that would warrant such a trade?"

Hook let go of Emma, advancing on the old woman. "The eye of a kraken. I've heard you've been looking for one."

The witch was on her feet faster than Emma would have thought possible. "You lie!" she hissed, her claw like hand coming up and clenching in midair.

Hook choked, clutching his throat as he fell to his knees. Emma felt her heart slam into her chest. "He's telling the truth!" she cried, hurrying to his side, facing the witch. "We have it! Let him go!"

Almira turned slowly, letting her hand drop, and Hook gasped, falling forward onto his hands, panting. "Ah, she speaks. Much like your last girl, Killian."

Hook coughed, sitting back on his heels. "Leave them out of this," he said, his voice rough.

The witch shuffled forward, her gaze fixated on Emma who found herself unable to move. "Then why bring them, Killian?"

Emma struggled to move, frozen where she stood. "What do you want?" she demanded as strongly as she could, trying to ignore the fear that flared inside her.

"I will give you the slippers for the eye, and a taste of your heart." She licked her thin lips again, her singular gaze dropping to Emma's chest.

"Emma, don't!" Hook said, struggling to get to his feet.

She hesitated. "What do you mean, a taste? Will you hurt me?"

The witch shook her head. "No, dear. I simply touch your heart, understand you a little bit more. You will miss nothing. You will leave with all you entered with."

"Then why do you want this as part of your deal?" Emma asked, wary.

Almira laughed, like nails on a chalkboard. "I would like to understand true love. You're filthy with it."

Emma frowned, her heart pounding in her chest. "Okay."

The witch's grin widened, and suddenly she plunged her hand into Emma's chest. Pain radiated out from the point and Emma cried out, her body ridged as the witch closed her eye, her head falling back, and her hand tightening painfully around Emma's heart. It seemed to go on forever, so much worse than the time Cora had attempted to steal her heart. Just as abruptly, the witch pulled her hand back and Emma slumped, almost hitting the ground before Hook caught her, lifting her back up and pulling her away from the witch back across the room.

"You damn, bloody fool," he growled, his left arm tight around her waist as he held her on her feet as she struggled to control her trembling, pain wracked body. He glared back at Almira. "Our bargain, witch!"

"The eye, if you please."

Hook untied the bag from his belt and threw it across the room. Almira caught it deftly, quickly looking inside it with a delighted cackle before turning and disappearing into another room.

"Are you all right, love," he asked softly, his voice rough from either the witch choking him or something else, Emma wasn't sure.

"It hurts like hell," she said, a hand pressed to her chest.

"Yes, well, you just let her dig through every memory of love that you possess, darling. You could be in much worse shape right now."

Almira appeared again, shuffling towards them before setting a pair of silver shoes on the floor near their feet.

"I thought they were ruby slippers," Emma muttered in confusion.

"Why?" Hook asked. He made sure she wasn't going to topple over before he let her go, grabbing the shoes and slipping them into a satchel on his hip. "Always a pleasure, Almira," he said, barely containing a sneer.

Emma tried to take a step and nearly fell again. Hook was back at her side an instant later, slipping an arm around her and moving them towards the exit.

"Killian," the witch called, drawing them to a halt just shy of the door. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

Emma glanced at the pirate, his eyes slipping closed and a profoundly irritated expression slipping over his face. "I was hoping you wouldn't."

"Then you're a foolish boy," she replied. "She knows you by another name. Is that why you didn't want me to read her heart?"

Hook turned to face the witch, moving Emma with him. "Not exactly. I didn't think I would be a topic of interest." Emma frowned, slightly confused by the conversation. "Emma," Hook said under his breath. "I need you to grab the canteen on my belt and throw it when I say." She was about to ask why, but his grip on her tightened painfully and she stayed quiet.

"You stole from me all those years ago, _Hook_," the old woman snarled. "Our deal today is done, and now I will steal from you."

"Emma, now!" Hook yelled as the witch started to raise her hands in a spell. Emma grabbed the canteen, pulling the stopper free and threw it at Almira as hard as she could with her shaking arms.

Hook was already pulling her towards the door, when she heard the witch scream. Emma glanced back, hearing the sizzle of flesh as the water started to melt into the old woman's exposed skin, causing her already haggard features to pop and sag. Emma blanched, looking away in horror, forcing herself to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other as Hook rushed them from the house.

They plunged into the darkness, trying to put as much distance between them and the enraged witch as possible. Emma pushed herself as hard as she could go, but something caught her feet in the dark and she fell, pulling Hook down with her as she tumbled, landing on top of him hard.

"Really not the time for this, love," he grunted, his hands resting on her hips as he rolled them so he could get to his knees, his breath coming fast from the run.

"How the hell did she know who you were?" Emma asked, sitting up, gasping for air herself.

"That's a question for you, not me. It's your heart she was rummaging around in for information." He brushed some dirt off his shirt, looking down at her with a furrowed brow. "Are you all right to continue, Emma?" They both heard the menacing howling start up again in the distance, and Emma sighed.

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice."

Hook smiled, reaching down and pulling her up with him as he stood. He brought out his hook, his eyes glinting eagerly in the moonlight as he attached it to the brace on his arm, obviously ready for a fight. "No, indeed it doesn't."

* * *

**Back to Henry and the Jolly Roger next chapter. Thanks again for reading and all your wonderful comments!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Huge thank you, again, to all of you. Sorry this took a bit longer than it should have. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Ready, lass? Hook asked, his back pressed to hers.

Emma set her feet, trying not to lean on him as she gripped her sword with sweaty palms. They'd run as far as they could, listening to the wolves get closer and closer, until they knew they weren't going to make it to the inn. Hook stopped her, put them next to a big oak, and drew his sword, his expression grim.

She heard growling, and suddenly Hook slammed into her with a curse, off balance as an animal jumped him. There was a sharp cry, and a wolf slumped to the ground between them. Hook straightened, glancing down at his bloodied arm. "Damn," he growled, looking back out into the darkness.

"You okay?" Emma asked, her eyes darting about, looking for the next attack.

"Ask me again when this is over," he shot back, his blade swinging at another charging figure.

Something caught Emma's eye and she spun, bringing her sword down on another snarling wolf. She saw more circling them and braced herself as the wolves started to move in, going faster as they went. Hook became a blaze of motion beside her and she soon found herself matching him, struggling to keep the slashing teeth and flailing claws away from them, and downing at least five more beasts in surprisingly quick succession. They attacked without plan, simply throwing themselves at the two, as if driven mad with a fury that wasn't their own.

Emma dispatched two more attackers before she felt one bowl into her side, causing her already shaky legs to buckle. Pain seared up her side just as she got her sword turned around and plunged it into the black, hairy body on top of her that slumped, dead, a moment later. She gasped, pushing it off of her, and eased herself back, towards the tree trunk. She pressed a hand to her side, wincing when it came back stained red.

Another sharp cry sounded next to her and then silence. She looked up to see Hook fall to his knees beside her, his breathing labored, blood dripping from his hook, and Emma suspected not all of it from their foes.

"You okay?" she asked again with a pained smile.

Hook looked up at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. "A few scratches, but nothing too serious." He turned, falling back against the tree next to her. "How are you doing, lass? You look a bit worse for the wear."

"We just fought off a pack of crazed, spell bound wolves. I think I could be worse."

Hook made a soft noise that might have been a laugh, turning his head to look at her, a crooked grin on his face. "Aye, that you could." He reached up with his good hand, wiping away a drop of blood from her cheek. "Though I have to say, I like you like this."

Emma let the rough pad of his thumb brush her skin once more before she looked away, her brow furrowed slightly. "We should probably keep moving."

She struggled to her feet, her hand pressed to her side as she let out a long breath, looking around at the damage they had done. Hook stood with her, immediately moving into her until her back was pressed to the bark of the tree, close but not quite touching. "You must admit, Emma," he said in a low voice, his eyes roving over her face, "we make one hell of a team."

A flash of heat went through her, and her breath caught, the smell of leather and sea salt engulfing her. "I suppose we did all right." Some part of her mind was screaming at her, while another part was waiting in hushed anticipation. His hand came up again, slowly, and trailed along the fading bruise on her forehead, slipping back into her hair as he leaned in, his breath tickling her lips.

Their eyes locked, and they both froze, something terrifyingly real thickening the air between them. Hook's eyes narrowed slightly, and Emma couldn't quite place the emotion that flashed through them before he pulled back abruptly, looking away. "You're right, love, we should keep moving," he said in a rough voice.

Emma let out her breath in an audible whoosh, barely holding in a confused, terrified laugh. She had no idea what was going on between them, what she felt, what was going on in his crazy pirate brain. "Hook," she started and then sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Ah, Killian, just hold on."

He slowly turned back to her, and she could almost see him physically restraining himself. "Hook is more than adequate, love."

She frowned. "Maybe Killian is growing on me."

"Doubtful." His eyes moved over her again, fixing on the hand she had pressed to her side. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" His voice was clipped and cold.

Emma felt like she'd just been doused by ice water. "You know what? Forget it." She pushed away from the tree, limping past him back towards the road.

Just as she was about to pass him, his hook shot out, grabbing her arm and swinging her into him hard. She hit his chest with a gasp. "You are the most infuriating, bloody woman I think I've ever had the misfortune to come across, Swan," he said, his voice low.

She gave a weak attempt to get out of his arms wrapped around her. "Yeah, well, back at you, buddy."

"Good," he said, and suddenly his lips were on hers. They were hard and demanding, and had her responding before she could think to do otherwise. Heat and lust flared through her as she fell into him and gasped, allowing him more access as her hands clenched in the lapels of his jacket. A groan escaped her as his tongue slid along hers, and the realization of what was going on slammed into her. She jerked away, putting him at arms length, still gripping his coat and breathing hard.

"What the hell?" she gasped, looking up at him with wide eyes. She wanted to be angry, but for some reason she couldn't muster the emotion. She could barely think of anything besides the weakness in her knees and the way her lips burned from his touch.

He moved towards her, but she kept her arms locked, holding him away from her. His hand came up, covering hers, and she had to force herself not to jerk away. "Why did you do that?" she asked again.

"Because I've wanted to for ages, love," he said, his expression surprisingly serious. "Don't act like you didn't want it too."

Emma pushed him away and fell back several steps. The problem was, she did want it, and she couldn't afford to. Hook was nothing but trouble. She might have agreed to trust him, but this was a different matter entirely. "Can we just go?"

Hook watched her silently for a long moment then shrugged. "After you, darling."

Emma frowned, hating the surprising note of understanding in his voice, but still reluctantly accepted his help when he came up and offered her an arm to lean on.

They walked in awkward silence for some time, Emma acutely aware of every inch of her body that was in contact with his, wanting to say something, but uncharacteristically unable to come up with anything. She was a grown woman, for god's sake, and she was acting like a horny teen.

"Why are you being like this?" she finally blurted, immediately wishing she'd just let the silence continue until they got back to the inn.

He glanced at her, a ghost of a smile apparent. "Like what, darling?"

"I don't know, not talking, not flirting. I'm sure you have _something_ to say."

"Oh, I do, love, but I'd very much like to do this again in the near future, and I know that talking to you now wouldn't benefit either of us."

"What does that mean?"

"Just think on it. I'll be right here when you finally come around."

"Let's get one thing straight. Whatever happened back there, it's not happening again. Try to kiss me again, and you'll regret it."

"Idle threats, Swan. Idle threats," he said, his grin widening.

She rolled her eyes. The sooner they used those stupid slippers and got back to Storybrooke, the better.

* * *

Henry threw the cards on the bed. "Read 'em and weep," he declared triumphantly, shooting his morose companion a huge grin.

"Yer entirely too good at cards, boy," Thomas groused, throwing his own cards onto the pile.

"When did you say my mom was getting back, again?" he asked, stretching with a yawn. He'd woken up about an hour before to discover the toothless pirate watching over him and his mom off somewhere with the captain.

"I didn't," he said, standing and stretching himself. "You hungry, boy?"

"Sure!" Henry jumped up. He hadn't seen much of where they were staying when they had arrived from the ship. He'd been so worried about his mom that exploring hadn't really been at the top of his priorities.

"Let's go then," Thomas said, putting a hand on Henry's head and steering him towards the door.

Several voices drifted in from out in the hallway, followed by loud cursing. Thomas jerked the door open, his hand on the cutlass at his hip, and Henry peaked around him, not about to miss out or be left behind.

"Mom?!" he yelled, pushing past the pirate and running down the hall. Emma was in front of the adjacent room, leaning heavily on Killian, her hand pressed to her bloody side. She looked up at his voice, wincing slightly as she tried to straighten and failed miserably.

"What happened?" Henry asked, rushing to her side to help her. She reluctantly put an arm around him, letting him take a bit of her weight.

"Had a bit of a run in with a pack of wolves," she said, letting the two lead her into the room. "And a vindictive witch."

"Are you all right?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah, kid. I'll be fine."

"How about you, Killian?"

"Right as rain, lad," the pirate said, easing Emma onto the bed. He knelt down in front of her, reaching out and moving her hand so he could inspect her side.

"What happened to calling him Captain?" Emma asked, sucking in a breath as he touched the bite mark.

"We're not on the ship," Henry said matter of factly.

"Ow!" Emma snapped, pushing at Killian's shoulder and glancing down at the wound with a pained expression on her face. "Don't take up nursing as a profession."

"Perfectly happy as a pirate, love," he said, reaching out, his finger hooking on the neck of her shirt.

"What are you doing?" Emma hissed, her entire body going tense and her gaze darting to Henry as Killian pulled her shirt down slightly, revealing a dark bruise on her chest.

Henry moved closer, his eyes wide. "What did that?"

"A witch, rather nasty one at that," Killian replied, letting her shirt back up and brushing her hair back over her shoulder. "We have some supplies on the ship now. I can bandage that up better there," he said, standing.

Henry noticed the unsure look on Emma's face as she looked up at the pirate, before she looked back at him. "I'm gonna be fine, Henry. How has it been here?"

"Good. Turns out I'm really good at poker."

Emma's eyes narrowed and she glared at Killian who only shrugged. "You'll have to show me sometime," she said, reaching out for help up.

Killian grabbed her hand, pulling her up and slipping his good hand around her waist. "Lead the way, lad," he said, moving them towards the door.

"We're going back to the Jolly Roger?" Henry asked eagerly.

"Aye," he said with a sly glance at Emma.

"You guys are acting strange," Henry commented, opening the door and leading them towards the stairs, Thomas falling in behind them.

Silence greeted him and he looked back, noting the tense look on both their faces. Something was up.

"Let's just get back to the ship, kid," Emma said, wincing slightly as she made her way down the stairs.

They gathered about three more pirates on their way to the ship, all of them practically materializing out of nowhere from wherever they had been standing watch. Even though he was worried about Emma, Henry couldn't help himself—he was running around with a bunch of pirates, on his way back to a _pirate ship_, and he was _excited_. It was by far the coolest thing he'd ever done.

"So what did you two go looking for? Buried treasure?" Henry asked with a grin, turning to them again as they made their way along the dock to the ship.

"Something like that," Emma answered. "We found something to get us back home."

Henry nodded. "Even better. Even though this is really cool, it'll be good to get back and see Grandma and Grandpa. I bet they're worried about us."

"I'm sure they are," Emma said, shooting a glance at the pirate captain.

"Don't look at me like that, love. You know why you're here."

"Still not an excuse."

Killian's grip on her tightened. "Give me time, and I'll give you all the excuse you need."

Emma's face flamed red, and she looked away, catching Henry's watchful gaze with an awkward smile. "Hurry up, kid. You don't want us to leave you behind."

Henry's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he ran ahead of them and onto the ship.

"Hey, lad! Get yer scrawny arse over here and help with this!" Thomas shouted across the deck. Henry grinned and ran to the quarterdeck where the toothless pirate handed him an ugly snarl of rope and told him to coil it, showing him how quickly before striding off. He started pulling at the rope with single-minded determination, glancing up quickly to see his mother watching him anxiously and Killian talking to her. Reluctantly Emma nodded and waved at him, allowing Killian to lead her across the ship, where the two disappeared below decks.

Henry let out a loud sigh and looked back at the rope. He didn't really know what to make of the pirate captain and his mom. Emma had mentioned him several times in Storybrooke, and none of it good, but Henry didn't think he seemed so bad. He just thought that Killian acted like a pirate. He hadn't hurt them, and seemed to go out of his way to make sure that Emma was all right, and he'd been showing Henry things around the ship, letting him practice sword fighting. He even let him call him Killian when they got off the boat.

"That's a serious expression, lad," a voice said from in front of him.

Henry jumped, looking up in surprise at the very person he'd been mulling over. "I have to be serious sometimes, I suppose."

"Life's more fun if you're not," Killian said, taking the rope away from him and deftly removing a knot before absentmindedly tying another one.

"But you're serious sometimes," Henry said lightly, watching his hands and trying to figure out how he'd done that.

Killian's brows furrowed slightly. "Trust me, it's highly overrated."

"Can we?" Henry asked, looking up at him. "Trust you?"

His frown deepened slightly. "On the matter of your safety, yes. I gave my word I'd keep you from harm, and that's what I intend to do."

"I don't want you to hurt my mom. She's already been through a lot."

Killian reached out, mussing his hair before sitting down across from him, handing the rope back to him. "You needn't worry on that count. She's one tough lass."

"That's my mom," Henry said with a laugh. "How did you do that?" he asked, bending the rope in a poor imitation of what Killian had done a moment before.

He took it back, untying his knot and retying it slower so Henry could follow. "You're lucky to have her, lad."

Henry nodded, concentrating on the knot. "I know." He bit his lip, trying to mimic the pattern again. "And you're a little wrong. She's tough, but I think about some things she's easier to hurt than others." He looked up briefly. "I don't even know if I should be telling you this… but I think you could hurt her, and I don't want you to. You're lucky to have her too, you know."

Killian's hands stilled. "What do you mean by that?"

Henry shrugged. "It's just that, even though she acts like she doesn't like you, she's different around you. I've seen her with other guys." He shrugged. "I think you might be good for each other."

A faint smile touched the pirate's face. "You got all that from these last couple days, lad?"

Henry moved one final loop and held up the rope with a triumphant shout. "Ha! Got it!" He looked up at Killian with a huge grin. "And yeah, I did."

"I think your lovely mother might disagree with you."

"Probably, but she's stubborn, like me. She'll come around, and then you two can be friends."

"Friends," he said, as if tasting the word. "I might like that."

Henry grinned, looking down at the knot in his hands. Yeah, he decided, he liked Killian, and he suspected his mom did too.


	4. Chapter 4

**A thousand thank you's once again to all of you :) And I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm currently suffering from Hook withdrawal and it's terrible. Hopefully this will help a little bit. **

* * *

Emma pulled on the clean shirt with a sigh, finally feeling somewhat back to her normal self. Hook had taken her to his cabin, shown her the supplies he'd gotten after they'd pulled into port, and promptly offered to help her undress to look at her wounds. She'd kicked him out.

She had been slightly surprised when he'd left without a fight, leaving her to her own devices. He'd been easy to read the last time she'd been around him, when she'd first come to the Enchanted Forest. She hadn't trusted him, but a part of her understood him. Ever since coming back though, she didn't know what to think.

She ran her fingers over her lips absently, cursing herself for allowing him to kiss her. The memory was seared into her brain, and she shook her head as she looked at herself in the wavy mirror attached to the wall over the washbasin. "Get a hold of yourself, Emma," she muttered, adjusting the oversized black shirt again. Of course the only clothes he would have to offer her would be his own.

She let her hand trail down to the bruise over her heart. She still didn't know what to make of the entire scene at the witch's cottage. Almira had gotten into her heart and somehow found the name Hook there. It didn't make sense to her. Was she attracted to him? She could say with certainty, yes. Did she care for him? Maybe. She didn't want to see him dead, she knew that, but it still led to the question of why the witch had seen him at all.

She let out a sigh and turned away from her reflection, quickly heading out of the cabin and up to the deck, deciding she'd deal with her messed up emotions later. She stopped, looking around for Henry or Hook and not seeing either one. A sliver of anxiety flared up, as she took another step.

"Cap'n's o'er there, if yer lookin' for 'im," one of the sailors said, pausing next to her and pointing towards the aft of the ship.

"Thanks," she muttered, moving away from the unsavory character who just shrugged at her and continued on with his work. She trailed along the ship towards where he had pointed, taking a moment to take in the organized chaos happening around her, and finding that she could almost enjoy it. They were still in port, but she could tell from the continued hustle that they would be pulling out soon.

She found Hook sitting on the deck unceremoniously with Henry across from him, a pile of rope between them. "What are you two up to?" she asked warily, coming closer.

They both glanced back at her. "I see you're finished, darling." His eyes roved over her, lingering. "The shirt suits you."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Killian's showing me how to tie knots. Who knew there were so many?" Henry chimed in, holding up his end of the rope, thick with different knots.

"Yeah, who knew," Emma replied with a small smile at how happy Henry seemed. She was glad someone was having fun on this impromptu detour from their normal lives, although what she constituted as normal was rapidly changing. She looked back at Hook who had turned his attention back to the rope in his lap, intrigued by his uncanny dexterity with only one hand. "You know you're bleeding, right?" she asked, her smile falling to a frown as she pointed at Hook's arm.

He glanced down at it with a shrug. "I've had worse, darling, not to worry."

"You have stuff for that downstairs, and it looks pretty bad."

"Are you offering to tend to my wounds, Emma?"

"Seems like you might need help with only one hand."

He was abruptly on his feet in front of her, a mischievous look on his face. "I believe you _are_ offering. Who would I be to turn you down?" He smirked, a playful light sparking in his eyes. "Are you good to practice on your own for a bit, lad?" he asked over his shoulder, his eyes staying on Emma who swallowed hard, not really knowing what she got herself into.

"Yep," Henry said, already bent over his rope, lost in concentration. Hook turned back to her with a quick quirk of his brows, grabbing her hand and spinning her around back the way she had come.

"You do realize that I'm only offering to patch up that bite on your arm, right?" Emma asked, pulling her hand out of his grasp.

"Of course, love," he replied, like she was crazy for suggesting he might have an ulterior motive.

She sat him down at the table in his cabin, turning up some of the gas lanterns so she could see better, and pulling a chair up next to him. He held his arm out, his gaze fixed upon her as she took it, grabbing a clean cloth from the table and wiping at the dried blood on his skin.

"How do you feel, Emma?" he asked, ducking his head slightly to catch her eye. "I know our little trip took a lot out of you."

"I feel better, thanks," she said shortly, keeping her gaze fixed on his arm. "Whatever's in this ointment you picked up, it did the trick."

"But not completely." His hook came up, lightly touching her chest. She pulled back, letting go of him and fixing him with an angry stare.

"Just… just don't push your luck, okay? I'm trying—"

Hook's eyes flashed in the lamplight. "Trying what, darling? Trust? Don't lie to me. Bad enough you're lying to yourself."

Emma was on her feet. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," he replied calmly, looking up at her. "After all we've just been through, you still can't trust me. What more do you need, Emma?"

She threw her hands up in frustration. "Oh, I don't know! For you to not be a pirate or—"

He stood and was in her space again. "No. That's not the reason, love."

Her breath left her in an audible sigh. "It's me, okay?! I can't trust anyone. Not anymore. And it doesn't matter if I think that maybe you've been telling me the truth this whole time, because a part of me knows that eventually you're going to do something to hurt me, and I don't want to go through that again. I can't. Especially when other people are relying on me." She ran her hands through her hair, so full of frustration that she didn't know what to do with it. "So can you just, I don't know, give me some space or something? Because I can't do whatever it is you think I can do. Not yet. Not right now."

Hook stared at her for a long moment, an intent look on his face before he slowly sat back down, setting his arm back on the table. "Point taken, lass."

She stared back down at him, feeling like she'd just sprinted a mile, not believing he was giving up that easily. "Okay?" she said breathlessly, sitting down opposite him again. "You're being shockingly understanding about all this."

"I could always tie you to my bed again, love, until you come around," he replied, glancing over at said bed.

She just shook her head, continuing to clean the wound.

"Would you rather talk about that kiss then?" he asked, one of his fingers running lightly along her arm.

Emma felt a tremble run through her at the mention of that kiss. "No, I'd rather not," she said pointedly, pulling her arm away from his touch.

"Too bad, love. Your boy wants us to be friends," Hook said, watching her work.

Emma glanced up at him with a frown. "Does he?"

A scream sounded from up on deck and they both froze, their gazes locking, before jumping to their feet and making for the stairs. Emma was about to bust through the door when Hook pulled her to a stop, holding a finger to her lips as he held her back. "Just wait here for a moment, lass."

"Like hell I will! Henry's out there!"

"Oh, Captain!" a sickeningly familiar voice called from the other side of the wood.

"It can't be," Emma breathed. "I thought that water killed her."

Hook cursed, her hand clenched on his sword. "Apparently not." He pulled the satchel from his belt and thrust it into her hands. "Let me handle this, and for once, do as you're told, and stay out of sight."

He didn't give her time to respond, just turned and pushed open the door, stepping out onto the deck, a scowl on his face and his back straight, every inch the pirate captain. Emma saw two sailors fall in behind him, for what she thought was support, but they unexpectedly grabbed him roughly from both sides. He swung around out of their grasp, managing to knock one of them down and draw his sword in one fluid movement. Two more pirates charged forward, and before Emma could call out a warning, pummeled him to the deck, disarming him and forcing him to his knees. He almost managed to get back on his feet, but one of the thugs hit him hard, sending him back down before dragging him across the deck out of Emma's line of sight.

Emma cursed, falling further back into the shadow of the passageway, adrenaline coursing through her veins. If his crew had turned on them, what little hope they had of defeating Almira was practically gone.

"What have you done, witch?" she heard Hook demand.

"Your crew is mine, Hook," she cackled from just out of Emma's sight.

It was then that she got a good look at some of the crewmembers, their eyes glazed over with an almost milky sheen to them, apparently spellbound. Emma felt her heart pick up even more. Where was Henry?

"Where is that pretty thing of yours, Killian? I'd love to see her again."

"I hate to disappoint, but I left her back at the inn. Slowing me down and all, you understand—" He was abruptly cut off and she heard a grunt of pain.

"Emma, darling! Do come out and play!" the witch called. "I would hate for things to get any uglier for your dear captain."

Emma closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to collect herself before she stepped out onto the open deck. Almira stood across from her, her single eye fixed on Emma set in the melted mess that was her face, ravaged by the water Emma had thrown on her at the cottage. The rest of the crew stood where they had been presumably when Almira had appeared, unmoving as if awaiting orders, staring blankly ahead with milky eyes. Emma covertly searched the deck for Henry, not finding him, before her eyes landed on Hook. He was on his knees before the witch, two other mindless pirates leveraging him down by his arms, and his hook in Almira's hands. Emma adjusted the satchel with the slippers farther behind her and took a tentative step forward.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as firmly as she could.

"I've come for my property, dear," the old woman said with a toothless smile, made all the more grotesque by her melted lips.

"We had a deal; the eye for the slippers. They aren't your property anymore."

"Another arrangement then. I would like to keep it civil between us, dear. No need for more useless violence."

Hook laughed. "Don't lie, witch. You've come to kill me, just like you've wanted to do for years."

She ignored him. "You will return my slippers to me, replace the dogs that you murdered, and I will give you your pirate captain back."

"Emma—" Hook started, but one of the men punched him hard in the face, almost knocking him to the ground if it hadn't been for the other man holding him up.

She took a step forward, anger blooming in her chest, before she managed to restrain herself. "I don't have any 'dogs' to replace the wolves that you sent after us," she snapped through gritted teeth.

Almira motioned around the deck. "I will take what I need from these."

Emma bit her lip, glancing at Hook. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but what struck her most was the look of resignation in his eyes, like he knew exactly what decision she would make. She knew what he was thinking. Almira was asking to take away their only means to return to Storybrooke in exchange for his life, and he knew what her answer would be.

Emma frowned, feeling worry, guilt, and anger stab through her, and looked away. Whatever choice she might once have had was gone now.

She turned back to the witch, her resolve set. "You can't have the crew. We killed your wolves in self-defense. That was the risk you took when you sent them after us." Her gaze shifted from the witch back to Hook. "I'll give you the slippers for Killian." She saw his brow crinkle slightly in confusion, disbelief flashing through his eyes.

The witch held out her knobby hand. "The slippers then."

Emma shook her head, looking back up. "Not until they let him go."

Almira laughed again, her single eye looking around the deck. "Now, now, Miss Swan. I will only tolerate so many demands from you right now. The slippers, if you please."

Emma swore under her breath, but pulled the satchel off her shoulder, throwing it across the deck to land at the witch's feet. "Let. Him. Go."

Almira's face twisted in triumph as she continued to laugh. One of the pirates released Hook, only to pull out his cutlass. Emma felt her blood run cold at the realization of what was about to happen. As the pirate maneuvered the blade around towards his captain's head, Emma jumped forward, the horrible knowledge that she wasn't going to make it in time filling her as a cry was ripped from her lips.

As she yelled, she felt something else burst out of her, light blinding her momentarily before she found herself on her knees, gasping for air. She looked up to find the pirate with the sword sprawled out on the deck, along with every other member of the crew. Almira was nowhere to be found; neither was the satchel.

"Emma!" Hook called, struggling to sit up from where he had been laid out on the deck.

She pressed a hand to her aching chest as she crawled over to him, falling down beside him. "Hook…" She met his gaze, her eyes wide with confusion and worry at both his condition and the fact that she'd used magic again without her knowledge. "Killian, I'm sorry, I should have realized she wouldn't uphold her end of the deal," she said breathlessly, almost rambling as her hand unconsciously sought his arm.

"It's all right, lass. I'm all right." he replied softly.

She started to nod and then froze before looking around frantically. "Oh, no! Henry!" she called.

Hook motioned towards the stern of the ship, falling back onto the deck with a groan. "I saw him earlier, darling. He looked to be fine."

She nodded, starting to stand before she stopped, hesitating a moment before running off to look for her son. "Are you really okay?" she asked, looking down at him.

He reached up, briefly touching her cheek before letting his hand fall back on his stomach. "Go find your boy, Swan."

She nodded and stood, running towards the stern of the ship. Across the deck, the other pirates were starting to come to, groaning and rubbing their heads, but with clear eyes.

Emma rounded a stack of crates and was suddenly hit by a small body wrapping his arms around her. "Mom! You used magic! Are you okay? Henry asked, looking up at her.

She pulled him close to her, burying her face in his hair and just taking the moment to appreciate that he was fine. "Yeah, kid. I'm okay. How bout you?" she asked after a long minute.

"Yeah." He pulled back, looking around at the groaning pirates. "That was the witch you met earlier?" he asked. She nodded. "She took our way back home, didn't she?"

Emma knelt in front of him. "Yeah, but don't worry. We'll find another way to get home. Me and Mary Margret did before, and we'll do it again."

Henry nodded. "I know."

She squeezed his hand and stood. "Good."

"Oh, no! Killian!" he yelled suddenly, running back across the deck. Emma followed him, coming back to where Hook still lay on the deck.

"I'm fine, lad, just give me a moment," he muttered, letting out a long breath before struggling into a sitting position.

"Cap'n! I swear I din't mean it!" the pirate that had almost beheaded him said, stumbling over, his face an almost comic mask of deference and panic. "I was—"

"Spellbound, aye. I know it," Hook replied, waving him off. "Not to worry, Clyde."

The pirate muttered a quick acknowledgement and with a nervous salute, hurried off to help some of his other mates.

"Clyde?" Emma asked with a small smirk. "Not a very pirate-like name."

Hook only shrugged, grabbing his hook from where it lay on the deck close by and reattaching it. "Get me down to my cabin, lass. These poor blokes don't need to see their captain this way."

Emma nodded and helped him up, Henry on his other side as they made their way back down below. They set him on his bed, stepping back and waiting.

"Lad, run back up and see Thomas about getting some water."

Henry nodded, running back the way he had come.

Emma frowned slightly, turning back to find Hook on his feet in front of her. She stumbled back several steps, bumping into the mast running through the center of the room, and abruptly found herself trapped between it and Hook. "I thought you were hurt!"

"I've taken plenty of beatings before, love. That wasn't enough to put me down for long." His hand slid over her side, gripping her hip as he made a low appreciative sound in his throat.

Emma swallowed hard. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Showing how one expresses their sincere gratitude. Something you have yet to do, darling." His fingers tightened on her, roughly pulling her into him. "You chose me, love."

"Yeah, well…" she muttered, finding it harder to think straight with him pressing closer.

"You were willing to do whatever it took to get back to your family last time. You could have let the witch have me, taken your boy and the slippers, and run… all your problems solved in an instant."

Emma grit her teeth as his other arm slide around her back. "I couldn't let you die."

His hand came up, cupping her face. "Why, love?"

She let out a gasping breath. "Let me go."

He shook his head. "Henry will be back soon, darling. Tell me why. Tick tock."

"You are a damn insufferable piece of work, you know that?" she breathed, her eyes involuntarily dipping to his lips, the memory of their kiss seared into her.

She wasn't conscious of moving, but suddenly the space between them was gone. He pressed her back against the post, his lips demanding access to her mouth that she willing gave him, her arms slipping around him, her hands clenching in his hair. He groaned into her mouth and her body melted into him, loving the taste of him, the feel. He hauled her closer, a hint of desperation in the movement as he slipped a leg between hers, pressing into her in just a way that made her gasp, clutching at him to maintain her balance. She felt his lips curve in a smile against hers for a moment before he deepened their kiss and she felt even more heat flare between them, threatening to consume her as they both teetered on the edge of something that both were just beginning to understand.

A small noise escaped her and her hands tightened in his feather soft hair as he pulled back slowly, holding him close enough that his forehead still brushed hers, their hair mingling together, and their gasping breaths mingled together. She became aware that somehow his hand had made its way under her borrowed shirt, his fingers burning the skin of her side and lower back with smooth, lazy caresses, sending tremors to places farther south. He leaned in again and kissed her lightly on her lips, a smile on his own as he lingered just long enough to make her ache. "That's good enough for now," he said softly and pulled away completely, leaving her swaying, completely at a loss to form coherent thought.

He stopped a few feet away, his blue gaze dark with an intensity that made her want to run and hide. "I'll get you home, Emma," he said, and she heard the promise in his voice, which scared her almost more than the kiss had.

"I know," she breathed, her hand slipping to the slowly fading bruise over her heart. She was in so much trouble.

* * *

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